Track switches for conveyors



Jan. 3, 1961 J. M. LEACH 2,965,862

TRACK swrrcmss FOR CONVEYORS Filed June 22, 1959 v INVENTOR.

MwhZw/i' United States Patent 9 2,966,862 TRACK SWITCHES FOR CONVEYORS John Meredith Leach, 17 Monfort Road, Port Washington, NY.

filed June 22, 1959, Ser. No. 821,792

Claims. (Cl. 104-102) The present invention relates to conveyors. More particularly; it relates to a track switch mechanism for use with conveyors of the overhead type.

The switch of the present invention can be used either with conveyors of the free trolley type, that is, where the trolleys are not connected one to the other by any linkage arrangement, or with conveyors of the power and free type. The latter type comprises an overhead power conveyor which consists of a track supporting trolleys which are connected together by linkages and driven by a suitable power source and a second track which supports free trolleys or trolleys which are not connected together by any linkages. Cross arms between the power and free trolleys cause the free trolleys to be moved by the power trolleys when they are in side by side relationship.

Track switches have heretofore presented severe space problems, particularly when used in connection with power and free overhead systems. This is because a switch of the movable blade type requires a blade of considerable length in order to avoid a sharp turn going into and leaving the switch. This excessive length on the part of the blade has created space problems because it is frequently necessary to have a main line with side tracks at intervals too short to accommodate blade switches.

Switches of the stub or sliding plate type could be used under such conditions because they require less length than blade switches but only when a free system is involved because heretofore all switches of the stub type required that the movable sections move on both sides of the fixed sections so that their use was precluded in power and free systems because the existence of the power conveyor on one side of the free conveyor would interfere with the movement of the movable section on that side.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a switch which can be used in congested areas and occupy a minimum of space.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a switch which can be used with equal facility with either a free system or a power and free system.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a switch of the stub or sliding plate type which can be used alongside of a power track.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the description of the invention in its present form is disclosed, as, for example, by the present specification, which discloses what is now considered to be the preferred form of the invention.

For a more detailed description of the invention, reference should be made to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, through out which like reference characters refer to like parts, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a switch of the present 2 I invention with the movable parts set in the trolley straight through position;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross sectional view of the switch taken on a plane indicated by line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the switch of the present invention with the movable parts shifted into the trolley side tracking or side switching position, and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross sectional view of the switch taken on a plane indicated by line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

The now preferred construction of the track switch of the present invention consists of a frame 10 formed of a front end section 12 and a rear end section 14. The two sections are joined together by horizontal members 16 on both sides of the frame. The frame is also provided with bottom members 18 which serve to support the movable sections of the switch while leaving a free open space for passage of the trolleys (not shown).

A movable straight track section 20 is preferably formed in the shape of a square tubular section with a slot 22 formed in the bottom for the passage of the trolleys. This movable straight section 20 when in the position shown in Fig. 1 accurately aligns with similar but shorter fixed sections 24 and 26 which are carried by the frame 10 and connect to the straight track section of the system at the time of installation.

The frame 10 is so constructed as shown in the figures to permit the straight track section 20 to be raised from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2.

A second movable track section 28 is formed the same as track section 20 except that it is curved as shown in Figures 2 and 4. The bottom support pieces 18 permit track section 28 to be moved from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 4, at which time it aligns with track sections 26 and 30 as shown in Fig. 4. Track section 26 aligns with the straight track and track section 30 aligns with a side track at the time of erection.

A lever 32 is pivoted at point 34 to straight track section 20 and at 36 to an arm 38 which is pivoted to curved track section 28 at 40. The lever is in the form of an angle and is provided with a handgrip 42.

When it is desired that the free trolleys continue on a straight path the movable track switch sections 20 and 28 are positioned as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When it is desired to switch the trolleys to a side track, the lever 32 is moved so as to move the handgrip to the left as shown in Fig. 1. This motion first elevates movable track section 20 and then slides movable track section 28 under as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In this position, any free trolleys approaching in the direction of the arrows will be directed to the side track which is in alignment with the track segment 30.

It can be seen from the above description that the left hand side of the switch as shown in Fig. 1 is always entirely free so that a power track as shown in dotted lines at 50 is never interfered with by operation of the switch. The track 50 is usually of the same construction as track 20 although not necessarily so and will carry the powered trolleys (not shown) for moving the free trolleys in a manner well known in the art.

Since certain changes in constructing the above switch may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, it is intended that all matters contained in the above description and shown on the accompanying drawings are to be considered in a descriptive and not in a limiting sense.

. The invention having been described what is claimed 1s:

1. A track switch comprising a frame, a movable track section supported in the frame for vertical movement, a movable track section supported in the frame for hori- Fatented Jan. 3, 1961 zontal movement, and means for raising the vertically movable section and moving the horizontally movable section thereunder.

2. A track switch comprising a frame, a movable track section supported in the frame for vertical'movement, .a movable track section supported in the frame-for horizontal movement, and means for raising the vertically movable section and moving the horizontally movable section into position to functionally replace the vertically movable section.

3. A track switch comprising a frame having vertical guides and horizontal guides, a movable track section carried by the vertical guides, a movable track section carried by the horizontal guides, and means for moving each track section so that the horizontally movable section functionally :replaces the vertically movable .section.

4. A track switch comprising a frame having vertical guides and horizontal guides, a straight track section carried by the vertical guides, a curved track section carried by the horizontal guides, and means for moving each track section so that the horizontally movable section functionally replaces the vertically movable section. 5. A track switch comprising a frame having vertical guides and horizontal guides, a straight track section carried by the vertical guides,-a curved track section carried by the horizontal guides, and means for raising the vertically movable track section and moving the horizontally movable track section thereunder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,875,966 Webb et a1. Sept. 6, 1932 2,875,704 Yates Mar. 3, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 135,575 Great Britain Nov. 25, 1919 

